M23 rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo have captured the airport serving the key city of Bukavu as they continue their advance. The militants' progress comes despite international calls for a ceasefire and a resumption of peace talks.

Representatives of Congo's powerful Catholic church met on Wednesday with a rebel leader whose Rwandan-backed M23 forces last month seized Goma, the biggest city in the country's east, and have continued advancing south.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels captured a strategic airport in the Democratic Republic of Congo, expanding their stranglehold over the country’s mineral-rich eastern region.